


Thaw Me, And My Heart

by super0random0girl



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abuse, And Howard and Maria weren't killed, Bisexual Peggy Carter, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bucky doesn't like Howard, Bucky never became the Winter Soldier, But he likes Steve, Gay Bucky Barnes, Homophobia, Howard Stark is Abusive, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, I hate Howard Stark with a passion, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Pansexual Tony Stark, So basically everything in the MCU is changed slightly, Steve Rogers does too, Suggested neglect, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony hates captain america, Tony isn't a complete ass, so Tony's life sucks balls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 13:13:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7641832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/super0random0girl/pseuds/super0random0girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bucky fell from the train, he froze at the bottom of the ravine and never became the Winter Soldier.</p><p>Basically: The Winter Soldier didn't kill Howard Stark, so Tony's life sucks. Tony is the one to greet Steve when Steve wakes up, thanks to Peggy. Then Steve asks Tony to have them look for Bucky's body, and, whoops, looks like Buckyboy is still alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thaw Me, And My Heart

Steve woke up slowly, coming around and acquainting himself with what he could figure out about his surroundings. One of the first things that he noticed was that something was Wrong. Everything from his pillow, and his bed, and his sheets, and his clothing, to just the way the air around him felt, and the smell and sounds (or lack of them) of his room. He opened his eyes quickly and, when he looked around, was greeted by more things that were Wrong.

He laid in a sparsely-furnished room on a simple, classic wooden bed with white sheets. There was a simple wooden chair next to the bed, and nothing else. Steve sat up quickly, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to sit sideways. Just then, a man walked in. There was something about his expression that made Steve feel like it was physically painful for the man to look at him, but that the man was attempting to hide it. The man's clothes were also Wrong, Steve noticed.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Cap," he said, and... that was clearly a lie. The man moved closer to Steve and held out his hand to shake. "The name's Tony." Steve shook it slowly, cautious and suspicious.

"I get the feeling that I don't need to introduce myself," Steve replied. Tony cracked a smile that reminded Steve of whenever Bucky would try to smile through his tears, whether Bucky had quite reached the point of crying or not.

"No, you don't," Tony said with a shake of his head. Then, quiet to the point that normal people in Steve's position wouldn't have been able to hear, he added, "No, you really don't." Tony grabbed the chair, turned it so the back was facing Steve, then sat backwards on the chair. For a moment, Tony just watched him, then took a breath and began talking. "I'm sorry," he said. "When you crashed the Valkyrie... no one knew where you were. You... apparently you froze and something about the serum managed to keep you alive." Tony paused. "It's been a long time, Cap. The year is 2012."

Steve felt like he'd been hit by a train. 2012? That was... 67 years after he'd crashed. Not quite seven decades. Unless.... Tony could be lying. But, no, Steve would've picked up on it. At the moment, Tony was looking at him with... not pity, but with a solid sort of sadness that made Steve feel like Tony was used to pain and knew what it was like to feel it. Part of him wondered if Tony was a soldier, but pushed the idea away. Tony didn't seem like the type. Actually, Tony reminded him a bit of Howard. He had the same intelligent feel to him. Still, Tony was nothing like Howard. Howard had never worn the t-shirts and work pants that Tony had on. Howard never walked like he was carrying the weight of the world. Howard never looked like he knew pain in the most intimate of ways. Steve took a deep breath and nodded.

"All right, then. Um..." Steve said, then paused to look around. "I guess my first question should be about where I am?"

"United States. New York City. Manhattan more specifically. If you really want to be specific, you're in Stark Tower," Tony said. Something about the forced nonchalance in the way Tony'd said the last sentence made Steve feel like there was something to pick up on, but he couldn't figure it out.

"Stark? Like... Howard Stark?" Steve said. Tony watched him for a moment, looking a bit angry for a second before cooling off to a tense sort of calm.

"Yep," Tony said. "The one and only." Hello, bitterness. So... Tony had met and apparently didn't like Howard. Steve nodded, thinking.

"Can... Can I have something to eat?" Steve asked once he realized that he was hungry. Tony nodded, stood, and put the chair back.

"Do you want cafeteria food or do you want to see what I've got in my fridge?" Tony asked. Seeing that Steve seemed unsure, he added, "Cafeteria would mean walking, a long elevator ride, more walking, lots of people, and okay food. My apartment would mean less walking, a shorter elevator ride, very few people, slightly better food, and more choices."

"D-... do you live here in the tower?" Steve asked. The corner of Tony's mouth turned up into a bitter, lopsided smile.

"Yeah. This place is made up of offices, labs, and some apartments for certain employees," he explained. So Tony worked for Howard. Maybe a secretary or assistant? Steve could understand why someone might not like Howard with a job like that.

"Your apartment sounds good," Steve said. Tony nodded.

"This way," he said, jerking his head towards the door before walking out.

Steve, admittedly, had to hurry a bit to keep up with Tony's quick pace. He was reminded again of Howard, and reasoned that Tony had picked it up from Howard after spending so much time with him. The only difference, though, was that Howard usually walked quickly to match the speed of his mind, and Tony seemed to be walking quickly to get things over with. They walked past what must have been some sort of medical wing or medical lab, filled with fancy gadgets that seemed more than a bit intimidating. They then entered a sleek, silver elevator that zoomed them upwards, and opened to reveal a plain, empty hallway. Tony led them down the hallway, to a door, and then through it.

Tony's apartment had more furniture than Steve's room, but not by much. The living room had a single couch, with two seats and a coffee table. There wasn't a dining room, just a bar with stools. The kitchen had appliances not unlike the sleek, silver elevator. There was a small hallway that Steve supposed led to a bedroom or two, and he suddenly wondered if Tony was poor. The apartment looked lived in, at least.

"What do you want?" Tony asked. "You can sit anywhere."

"Um... nothing boiled?" Steve requested hopefully, sitting down on the couch..

"So no pasta," Tony responded. "You're going to have to narrow it down more than that." Steve shifted, unsure.

"Can you just decide for me?" he asked. Steve heard Tony sigh, mumble something along the lines of "yeah, sure", and the shifting of items over multiple surfaces.

"You're getting a sandwich," Tony informed him from the kitchen.

"Thanks," Steve immediately responded. After a minute, Tony returned with a nicely stacked sandwich that made Steve cross out the possibility that Tony was poor. Maybe less was considered more in modern times. "Thank you," Steve repeated.

"Yeah," was Tony's only reply, sitting down on the chair farthest from Steve. Just then, a man walked in through the door. Steve immediately noticed two things: the man's dark skin, and his military uniform.

"Hey, Tony," the man said, and Tony raised a hand in greeting. "And... Captain America." This made the man pause for a moment. "Um. Hi." With that, the man went to the yet unexplored hallway. Steve slowly turned his eyes to Tony, eyebrows raised.

"... Roommate?" Steve guessed between bites. Tony watched him, his expression unreadable.

"Sort of. It's complicated," Tony responded vaguely.

"... Does he have a name?" Steve asked, once he realized that Tony wouldn't be saying any more.

"Most people do," Tony said. Steve huffed.

"What is his name?" he asked purposefully.

"James Rhodes. Or Rhodey. Or Colonel Rhodes. War Machine. Iron Patriot. Depends on who you ask," Tony answered, finally. Steve nodded, taking another bite of his sandwich and dismissing the last two as (really odd) nicknames.

"I'm out," Rhodey said, flying past again. "Tony, you know the rules."

"No blowing anything up, no self-harm, no punching Captain America or harming him in any other way, no suiting up unless it's necessary, do not pass Go, do not collect $200," Tony recited. "Are you happy?"

"Yes," Rhodey responded immediately. "See you later, Ironass."

"You too, babe," Tony said, and Rhodey left. After a moment of silence, with Tony staring at the door, Tony's gaze turned to Steve, challenge clear. Steve stared back at him, unsure and confused. Had he done something? Did Tony think that he was going to do something? After a moment, Steve decided to break the silence.

"What?" he said, ever so articulate. Tony continued to watch him, but the challenge and defensiveness faded, and he ended up shrugging. Out of nowhere, something pinged. Tony pulled a small black rectangle from his pocket, looked at it, and sighed.

"I'm supposed to settle you into one of the free apartments and then show you around the places that you have access to," Tony said. Steve just stared at the thing. He couldn't quite figure out what it was. "Oi. Cap."

"What is that?" Steve asked. Tony sighed.

"It's called a cellphone," he explained, like he was speaking to a child. "It's like a telephone, but better. It can call people..." He paused, thinking of a way to explain. "Send and receive telegrams, you can play games on it, and you can take notes and stuff on it. It does all kinds of stuff. It can access a shitload of information, too. Like a library." Steve was silent for a moment, staring.

"Wow," he said. "That's... a lot for something so small." Tony nodded.

"Technology has come pretty far, Cap," he said.

"Are there flying cars?" Steve asked hopefully. Tony snorted.

"No. None accessible to the public. Certain government agencies have some, but not the average citizen," Tony said. Steve looked disappointed. After a moment, Steve spoke again, in a much quieter, more solemn tone.

"Has anyone found Bucky's..." he asked. Tony had the solid-sadness face again, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. After a second of Steve's sad puppy face, Tony offered, "I might be able to pull a few strings, though. Get them looking?" Steve looked up, with a glint of brokenhearted hope in his eyes. Tony sighed and began typing on his phone. Steve, having finished his sandwich, put his plate down on the table. After he sent the message, he stood. "Plate," he said, holding out his hand to take it. Steve gave it to him, but then followed him to the kitchen.

"Hey, um... Tony?" he said.

"Yeah?" Tony responded distractedly, washing Steve's plate.

"Why do you not like me?" Steve asked, relaxing a bit once he was able to get the question out. Tony snorted.

"What? Never met someone who doesn't like you?" he asked, harsher than necessary. Steve was wounded, but continued anyway.

"I've never had trouble figuring out why before," he said. Tony was quiet, and glanced at Steve out of the corner of his eye. He sighed before answering.

"I grew up being compared to you. Hence, I grew up hating you. I was never good enough," Tony admitted softly. Steve was surprised.

"Who the hell would compare someone to me?" he asked. Tony shrugged.

"My dad," Tony said. Steve shook his head.

"That's... That's not right," Steve stated. "Damn, that's fucked." Tony snorted a laugh. "What?"

"My dad said that I shouldn't curse because Captain America never did. Didn't let anyone around you curse, either," Tony murmured. Steve frowned.

"Yeah, no," Steve said. "There are times and places that are appropriate for cursing, and you can bet that I'll be swearing with the best of 'em. I'm from fucking Brooklyn, for shit's sake." Tony chuckled, looking slightly pained again.

"You wanna tell my dad, go ahead," he said bitterly. "Just don't do it while I'm around. I'm not getting a beating for tattletaling to Captain America." Again, Steve was shocked into silence. Tony sighed, and the bitterness was gone from his voice. "Sorry. You don't want to hear this." Steve's jaw worked for a minute before he settled on what to say.

"You've got a job working for Stark, with an apartment and everything you need to live. How is that not enough?" he asked. Tony shot him another one of his pained smiles, his eyes a bit too shiny.

"I've only got a job here to save face," he explained. He'd finished washing the plate and had set it aside, but he hadn't turned away from the sink. Steve waited for him to continue. "Um... How- Howard Stark is my father. Everything I have... I wouldn't have it without him. I wouldn't be shit without my father." Steve was stunned, and felt a bit like throwing up. Howard? How could he do something like that? To a kid. His kid. He kept his mouth shut until he was sure that nothing would come up.

"I'm sorry." It was all he could say at the moment. Two words that couldn't do anything. Tony shot him another smile, this one less pained and more plain old sad.

"It's... not okay, but it could be worse. He mostly just ignores me," Tony said.

"I'm sorry," Steve repeated, as if it would do something. "He didn't... didn't even give you the company? Isn't.... Is that not a thing anymore?"

"I'll inherit the company when he dies. Probably. But... I kinda messed things up while I was CEO. Or at least, Pop blames me for what happened. But it's fine. A friend of mine is CEO now, and she's great at it," Tony explained. He shook his head. "I need to get you settled into an apartment." Tony brushed past Steve to walk out the apartment door, leaving Steve to follow.

"When I asked who Rhodes was, and asked if he was your roommate, you said it was complicated," Steve murmured as they walked. "You two sounded like you were flirting when he left..." He noticed Tony tense up next to him. "Does Howard beat you over that too?" Tony huffed a breath through his nose.

"Not for Rhodey. He thinks that Rhodey's a nice military boy who isn't a disappointment and who can keep me on track. And we aren't like that anyway. We decided that we didn't want to hide if we had anything, so we don't have anything," Tony responded, matching Steve's soft tone. "I came out, though, and got beaten pretty badly. It's not illegal, now, to be queer. You can even get married in some states. Not everyone is on board, though. Definitely not my dad." Steve sighed.

"Did you... um, come out to Peggy?" Steve asked, then had a sudden thought. "Is Peggy even alive anymore?" Tony snorted.

"Alive and kicking, in a much more pleasant way than Pops," Tony responded, smiling bitterly for a moment before it stretched out into something real. "But, yeah. I came out to Aunt Peggy. She sat me down and decided that it was the perfect time to tell me about all of her lesbian flings." Tony paused, his smile dropping a bit. "Please tell me you already knew that she was bi." Steve stared at him as they entered the elevator.

"... That she's into girls and guys, yeah," Steve said. Tony nodded, relaxing. "She told me after I told her. Well, after I confirmed her suspicions." Steve pretended not to notice Tony's shock.

"You're bi?" Tony said after a moment. Steve nodded, and Tony repeated the motion. "I'm pan. I should probably be using full terms with you, now that I think about it. Bisexual and pansexual. Pan is kinda like bi, just... more all-encompassing. It mostly depends on which label you want to use. You can look it up once you get settled." Steve nodded. As they stepped off of the elevator, a thought occurred to Steve.

"If Howard doesn't like the apartment that I choose, what's the likelihood that he'll take it out on you?" Steve asked. Next to him, Tony was quiet. "Tony?"

"It depends on what else he has to yell at me for. And he'll probably be more upset at not reporting to him immediately to tell him you're alive," Tony said. It was Steve's turn to be quiet.

"He doesn't know?" Steve finally said.

"Aunt Peggy wanted you to deal with me first. She thought it'd be better," Tony told him.

"But you're going to get punished for not telling him," Steve pointed out.

"I'm going to get punished for existing," Tony snapped, coming to a stop. "There's nothing you can do about it that I would be okay with and so you're just going to have to stop being perfect, anti-bully Captain America and start accepting things as they are." Steve frowned.

"Give me the room that he'll have the least complaints about," Steve demanded. At Tony's look, he added, "It'll at least make me feel like I'm doing something." Tony sighed and went back to the elevator.

"Come on," he grumbled, and Steve did.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the following week, Tony helped Steve settle into the modern world. Tony explained the roles that Captain America had taken over the decades, and the things that he'd represented. Steve got a tour of modern-day Manhattan and Brooklyn, but decided to skip everything else, satisfied with the area he'd seen. He also got a Cliffnotes version of world history after he'd crashed. He was taken on a shopping trip by an Agent Romanoff, a beautiful and dangerous woman, which was crashed by the clumsier, more laidback Agent Barton. He found friends within both of them. He made friends with Pepper Potts, the current CEO of Stark Industries, Doctor Jane Foster, a quiet but steel-backboned scientist friend of Tony's, and Darcy Lewis, a very outgoing scientist friend of Tony's. He met Director Fury, who immediately gained Steve's respect, Agent Coulson, who mildly terrified Steve, and Agent Hill, who reminded Steve of the military version of Pepper Potts. Director Fury informed Steve that he'd be seeing a therapist twice a week, and Tony assured him that it was normal, not too bad, and more helpful than not. (Steve found it awkward and uncomfortable.)

"Why haven't you just gone to work for SHIELD?" Steve asked, sitting and sketching at Tony and Rhodey's bar. Frankly, he spent more time and felt more comfortable in the smaller apartment with the other two men. Tony sighed in response to Steve's question.

"I-... I've thought about it. I'm still thinking about it. Maybe being there as a tech guy, then going off and superhero-ing every now and then, but..." Tony explained, then sighed again. "If I leave the company, I'll probably be disowned, and who knows what my dad will threaten to do to anyone who contacts me after. He probably won't cut funds and tech to SHIELD, though, cause of Aunt Peggy." Steve frowned, thinking.

"Hm," he murmured. "Speaking of Peggy..." He looked to Tony, who nodded and waved his hand dismissively.

"She's got some stuff to run. We're meeting her for lunch in a couple days," he explained. Steve nodded, going back to the sketch of Tony that he was working on.

"And your parents?" Steve said.

"About two weeks from now," Tony said, and shrugged. "Aunt Peggy wants to work out a story about spending some time with you to get you used to things before shoving my dad at you. Basically, my role in all of this is being cut out of the picture, for obvious reasons." Steve nodded.

"That's good," he murmured. Next to him, Tony checked his phone and hummed in a surprised sort of way. "What?"

"Um... they... think they've found something," Tony explained. To Steve's confused face, he added, "In the ravine. They... think it's human. They haven't gotten far enough to be able to tell if it's... Barnes." Tony caught Steve just as he crumpled, wrapping him in a hug. "Shhh.... I know...." Steve only squeezed his arms tighter around Tony's waist and gulped down a breath of air as his shoulders shook with silent, tearless sobs. "Come on, let's get you to the couch." Tony ended up half carrying, half dragging him there. Once Steve was on the couch, he refused to let go of Tony, and they ended up awkwardly cuddling, which was what Rhodey arrived home to, and joined in.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Stevie!" Tony called, bursting into Steve's apartment where the occupant was decidedly not tearing the kitchen to pieces because nothing was making sense. Again. This was why he ate at Tony's. Steve turned to Tony, glad for the distraction. "Start packing. You're eating breakfast on the plane." Steve began heading for his bedroom as he shot Tony his best 'befuddled puppy' look.

"But what about lunch with Peggy?" he asked.

"We're having a late lunch in Germany with her," Tony responded. "They're close with Barnes. She doesn't want to leave, and she wants you to be there." Steve, suddenly serious, nodded. "We'll be there for a few days, probably until they're ready to send him home. You'll be his military escort. Peggy has your uniform." Steve looked down, nodded again, then turned into his bedroom. Tony followed, making sure that Steve got everything he needed and pausing to help Steve with a panic attack.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They landed at a military base, filled with people in black uniforms with eagle patches on their sleeves. Tony expertly weaved his way to the biggest building that Steve could see. From there, Tony led the way to a small room with two beds. They unpacked, then went back to the main lobby, where they were greeted by a slightly-anxious-looking woman in uniform.

"Captain Rogers," she greeted, nodding towards him. "Retired Director Carter-Sousa would like to see you both immediately, in regards to Sergeant Barnes." She paused to like her lips. "While nothing is distinctly wrong, there are certain things that are... not quite what we had been expecting."

"Lead the way," Steve told her, straightening up to the point that Tony was suddenly reminded that he was standing next to the Captain America. The agent nodded, turned on her heel, then showed them down one of the hallways, then another, before arriving outside of a room with large, glass windows. There, Peggy was waiting for them. She turned to them with a smile.

"There you two are," she said, poised and elegant, even in her old age. "Steve, I hope Tony has been taking care of you better than he takes care of himself." Tony shuffled his feet, looking down with a small smile.

"I'm honestly not sure I could make it without him. You're looking beautiful, Pegs," Steve replied. Next to him, Tony looked up and positively beamed. "I... heard something about something not being quite right with Bucky?" Peggy raised her eyebrows and gave him a Look, clearly not happy with the short conversation leading up to Steve's main focus, but she relented and turned towards the windows next to them. Inside, agents in suits heated a frozen figure.

"Everything seemed all right until just before you two landed," Peggy began explaining. She paused, gazing through the window. "I'd... noticed some things. Back then, after you got him back. With his... with his body preserved and... whole... as well as it is, I couldn't risk any damage to him, if I was correct." Steve flicked his eyes to Peggy before training them back on the frozen body of his friend.

"About?" he eventually prompted. Peggy sighed.

"James was able to make incredible shots. He took hits that should have knocked him out of the game for at least a bit, and stood up and kept going. At first, I thought it was sheer stubbornness to stay at your side, but..." Peggy continued, then paused again. "HYDRA was attempting to make a supersoldier of their own, Steve. There in Azzano. The fall from the train should have, frankly, crushed every bone in his body, skull included. The ice should have left his body to blacken and deteriorate, possibly down to his skeleton." She paused yet again, and turned to face Steve completely. "He shattered his arm. That's it. That's the extent of the damage." Steve turned to her, some sort of mix of confusion, hope, and determination from trying not to break down shining in his eye.

"So? What are you trying to say, Peggy?" he asked desperately. She took a deep breath.

"We've located a heartbeat." It took a moment for Steve to collapse to the ground, though Tony caught him quickly.

"Sh..." Tony whispered. "I know. I've got you. He'll be all right."

"I'll grab something warm to drink," Peggy said, touching Steve's shoulder lightly as she walked away. It was Tony who nodded in acknowledgement as he continued to murmur what he hoped were calming words.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After Bucky had been de-iced, the doctors and technicians realized that Bucky's arm would have to be amputated. It was done once they arrived back at Stark Tower, because Steve wanted Bucky to come around there, with only Steve to greet him, instead of at a military base in Germany. And so, once it came to around the time that Bucky was expected to wake up, he was arranged on Steve's bed, laying on his right side, with his heavily-bandaged left arm- now just a stub at the shoulder- in the air. Steve mirrored Bucky's position, facing him and watching the subtle movements of Bucky's breathing. That was how he knew Bucky had woken up, as there was a small shift in his breathing pattern. After a moment, Bucky spoke.

"Stevie?" he croaked, voice hoarse from disuse and the ice.

"I'm right here, Buck," Steve said, running his hand down Bucky's left side. Bucky wet his lips, still not opening his eyes.

"I lost my left arm," the brunet stated. Steve made a sort of affirmative noise. "I know that because I can feel it healing. Why can I feel it healing?" Steve sighed.

"Peggy says that you got a version of the serum in Azzano. They've got a blood test to prove it. Mostly they proved that it's on the shitty side and kinda slow to set in, but it's the serum. It brought you home to me," Steve whispered. That was when Bucky opened his eyes, searching Steve's face. Steve smiled, in a bittersweet sort of way. "You remember what you told me when you found me in the alleyway, just before you shipped out?" A small line appeared between Bucky's eyebrows as he thought about it.

"Pretty sure I said a few things," Bucky responded.

"You were hitting me in the chest with a newspaper," Steve added. Bucky seemed to think about it again, then nodded.

"I told you that we were going to the future," Bucky said. It took a moment, but he seemed to make the connection. "You said that Peggy's still alive?" Translation: it's not too far into the future.

"Peggy, Howard, you, and me," Steve said softly. "That's it. It's 2012." Bucky stared at him, his mind, no doubt, going a mile a minute.

"2012," Bucky repeated. Steve nodded, then grinned.

"Two men can marry each other now, in New York and a few other states," Steve added. Bucky's eyes lit up. In a much somber tone, Steve added, "But only a few because it's legal, but not overly accepted." Bucky frowned, but the light didn't quite die.

"You think that Captain America marryin' a guy would make it better or just ruin your reputation?" he asked. Steve shrugged.

"Don't know, don't care," he said. After a moment, he added, "I told Peggy about us. Back in the war." Bucky's eyes widened a fraction. "She'd noticed. She, um... she's like me. Okay with whatever." Bucky relaxed. "She suggested, actually, after we knew that you'd be okay, that I propose. As long as she gets to marry us." Bucky grinned.

"She's some woman," he murmured. "I think I'd be all right with that. Who would we invite to the wedding? I'm guessin' our old guest list won't hold all that well." Steve chuckled, albeit a bit sadly.

"No," he said. "We'd invite Peggy, of course. Howard and his wife. His kid, Tony." Bucky wrinkled his nose. "Maybe not Howard, 'cause Howard don't like queers. But Tony's great. You'll like him." Steve paused. "We'd have to invite Becca and her kids. And grandkids. And great grandkids, maybe." Bucky smiled again. "Maybe the Howlies' families? I've also made some friends through Tony. We should definitely invite them. You'll really like Clint Barton. He works for Peggy's government organization. He's a sniper, like you, though he's got a weird obsession with birds." Bucky snorted.

"I can't wait to meet 'em all," he said softly. Steve smiled at him and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

"You will," Steve whispered. "I love you."

"I'll love you 'til the end of the line," Bucky responded.


End file.
